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U.S. News and World Report – Top 100 High Schools In New Jersey 2022

May 6, 2022

by Mike Mangan with No Comment Advertising Education Marketing Recruitment Advertising

And The Winner Is…

U.S News and World Report recently released the 2022 edition of their annual top 100 high school rankings for the country. As with previous years, New Jersey scored well, being home to a handful of those top schools. In addition to public high schools, they also ranked the best charter schools, magnet schools, and STEM schools in the country.

The criteria to rank these schools was the same it’s always been for previous years, being college readiness, college curriculum breadth, reading and math proficiency, reading and math performance, and underserved student performance. However, this year, the calculations were adjusted to account for the impact COVID-19 had on education. For example, many schools canceled their state testing for the 2019-2020 school year. Thus, historical data, along with new science proficiency results from 2018-2019, was used to help calculate the rankings.

New Jersey had eight of its own schools placing within the top 100 high schools in the country. Monmouth County Vocational School District accounted for two of those eight (High Technology High School and Biotechnology High School), with High Technology High School also ranking as the #2 STEM School in the nation. Here are the eight New Jersey high schools which made the top 100:

(#23) Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies (Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District, Edison)
(#49) Union County Magnet High School (Union County Vocational – Technical School District, Scotch Plains)
(#61) Bergen County Academies (Bergen County Vocational Technical School District, Hackensack)
(#65) High Technology High School (Monmouth County Vocational School District, Lincroft)
(#68) Dr. Ronald E McNair High School (Jersey City Public Schools, Jersey City)
(#69) Middlesex County Academy for Allied Health (Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District, Woodbridge)
(#80) Biotechnology High School (Monmouth County Vocational School District, Freehold)
(#93) Bergen County Technical High School – Teterboro (Bergen County Vocational Technical School District, Teterboro)

Additionally, the top 100 high schools of each state were ranked. Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies was once again named the top high school in New Jersey. Below are the rest of the top 100 high schools in New Jersey:

Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies (Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District, Edison)
Union County Magnet High School (Union County Vocational – Technical School District, Scotch Plains)
Bergen County Academies (Bergen County Vocational Technical School District, Hackensack)
High Technology High School (Monmouth County Vocational School District, Lincroft)
Dr. Ronald E McNair High School (Jersey City Public Schools, Jersey City)
Middlesex County Academy for Allied Health (Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District, Woodbridge)
Biotechnology High School (Monmouth County Vocational School District, Freehold)
Bergen County Technical High School – Teterboro (Bergen County Vocational Technical School District, Teterboro)
Academy for Information Technology (Union County Vocational – Technical School District, Scotch Plains)
Academy for Allied Health Sciences (Union County Vocational – Technical School District, Scotch Plains)
Marine Academy of Science and Technology (Monmouth County Vocational School District, Highlands)
Glen Ridge High School (Glen Ridge Public School District, Glen Ridge)
Elizabeth High School (Elizabeth Public Schools, Elizabeth)
West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North (West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District, Plainsboro)
West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South (West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District, West Windsor)
Summit Senior High School (Summit Public School District, Summit)
Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science (Monmouth County Vocational School District, Neptune)
Millburn High School (Millburn Township School District, Millburn)
Livingston High School (Livingston Board of Education School District, Livingston)
Chatham High School (School District of The Chathams, Chatham)
Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest (Northern Valley Regional High School District, Demarest)
Princeton High School (Princeton Public Schools, Princeton)
Ridge High School (Bernards Township School District, Basking Ridge)
Mountain Lakes High School (Mountain Lakes Public School District, Mountain Lakes)
Montgomery High School (Montgomery Township School District, Skillman)
Tenafly High School (Tenafly Public School District, Tenafly)
Science Park High School (Newark Public School District, Newark)
Ridgewood High School (Ridgewood Public School District, Ridgewood)
John P. Stevens High School (Edison Township School District, Edison)
Union County Tech (Union County Vocational-Technical School District, Scotch Plains)
Haddonfield Memorial High School (Haddonfield School District, Haddonfield)
Central Jersey College Prep Charter School (Central Jersey College Prep Charter School, Somerset)
Communications High School (Monmouth County Vocational School District, Wall)
Madison High School (Madison Public School District, Madison)
Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan (Northern Valley Regional High School District, Old Tappan)
Glen Rock High School (Glen Rock Public School District, Glen Rock)
Northern Highlands Regional High School (Northern Highlands Regional High School District, Allendale)
Technology High School (Newark Public School District, Newark)
New Providence High School (New Providence School District, New Providence)
Park Ridge High School (Park Ridge School District, Park Ridge)
Pascack Hills High School (Pascack Valley Regional High School District, Montvale)
Kinnelon High School (Kinnelon School District, Kinnelon)
Mahwah High School (Mahwah Township Public School District, Mahwah)
Verona High School (Verona Public School District, Verona)
Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy (Elizabeth Public Schools, Elizabeth)
Cresskill High School (Cresskill Public School District, Cresskill)
West Morris Mendham High School (West Morris Regional High School District, Mendham)
Westfield Senior High School (Westfield Public School District, Westfield)
Leonia High School (Leonia Public School District, Leonia)
Ramapo High School (Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District, Franklin Lakes)
Metuchen High School (Metuchen Public School District, Metuchen)
Bergenfield High School (Bergenfield Borough School District, Bergenfield)
Liberty High School (Jersey City Public Schools, Jersey City)
Midland Park Jr./Sr. High School (Midland Park School District, Midland Park)
Bernards High School (Somerset Hills Regional School District, Bernardsville)
Bergen Arts and Sciences Charter School (Bergen Arts and Science Charter School, Garfield)
Randolph High School (Randolph Township School District, Randolph)
Moorestown High School (Moorestown Township Public School District, Moorestown)
Columbia High School (South Orange-Maplewood School District, Maplewood)
Academy for Mathematics Science and Engineering (Morris County Vocational School District, Rockaway)
Whippany Park High School (Hanover Park Regional High School District, Whippany)
Cherry Hill High School East (Cherry Hill School District, Cherry Hill)
River Dell Regional High School (River Dell Regional School District, Oradell)
Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School District, Rumson)
Ramsey High School (Ramsey School District, Ramsey)
High Tech High School (Hudson County Schools of Technology School District, Secaucus)
Mount Olive High School (Mount Olive Township School District, Flanders)
Holmdel High School (Holmdel Township School District, Holmdel)
Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School (Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District, Scotch Plains)
James Caldwell High School (Caldwell-West Caldwell School District, West Caldwell)
Hillsborough High School (Hillsborough Township Public School District, Hillsborough)
Fair Lawn High School (Fair Lawn Public School District, Fair Lawn)
West Morris Central High School (West Morris Regional High School District, Chester)
Fort Lee High School (Fort Lee School District, Fort Lee)
Hunterdon Central Regional High School (Hunterdon Central Regional High School District, Flemington)
Emerson Jr Sr High School (Emerson Public School District, Emerson)
Indian Hills High School (Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District, Oakland)
Marlboro High School (Freehold Regional High School District, Marlboro)
South Brunswick High School (South Brunswick School District, Monmouth Junction)
Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School (Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District, Bridgewater)
Montclair High School (Montclair Public School District, Montclair)
Highland Park High School (Highland Park Boro School District, Highland Park)
Robbinsville High School (Robbinsville Public Schools, Robbinsville)
Parsippany High School (Parsippany-Troy Hills Township School District, Parsippany)
Point Pleasant Beach High School (Point Pleasant Beach School District, Point Pleasant Beach)
Governor Livingston High School (Berkeley Heights School District, Berkeley Heights)
Montville Township High School (Montville Township School District, Montville)
North Hunterdon High School (North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District, Annandale)
Jonathan Dayton High School (Springfield Public School District, Springfield)
Morris Hills High School (Morris Hills Regional School District, Rockaway)
Sparta High School (Sparta Township Public School District, Sparta)
Cranford High School (Cranford Public School District, Cranford)
East Orange STEM Academy High School (East Orange School District, East Orange)
Hopewell Valley Central High School (Hopewell Valley Regional School District, Pennington)
East Brunswick High School (East Brunswick Township School District, E Brunswick)
Parsippany Hills High School (Parsippany-Troy Hills Township School District, Morris Plains)
Westwood Junior/Senior High School (Westwood Regional School District, Township of Washington)
Morris Knolls High School (Morris Hills Regional School District, Denville)
Wayne Valley High School (Wayne Township Public School District, Wayne)
Dumont High School (Dumont Public School District, Dumont)

SCG Advertising + Public Relations is a long-standing, woman-owned, full-service advertising agency headquartered in New Jersey. We have a vast amount of experience in the education space, working with hundreds of private, public, and charter schools across the country to recruit both students and faculty.

Education Hiring Bonuses

August 20, 2021

by Mike Mangan with No Comment Education Human Resources Recruitment Advertising Uncategorized

As the 2021-2022 school year approaches, there is a noticeable teacher shortage across the country. In a survey by Frontline Education, two-thirds of 1,200 school and district leaders have reported a teacher shortage, especially among certified and special education teachers. According to another survey, taken at the end of July, of 2,690 members of the NEA (National Education Association), 32% said the pandemic is making them leave their profession earlier than expected.

Schools are combatting this shortage by offering signing bonuses to attract staff and to give veteran teachers and staff incentive bonuses to stay on. Below is a list compiled of bonuses throughout the country in the education space and how they are paid out to employees. Also listed are the local schools in New Jersey who are using hiring bonuses to attract staff.

Snapshot of Hiring Bonuses Around the Country

July marked the peak hiring season for Shelby County schools in Memphis, Tennessee, and they are enticing full or part-time teachers and staff with $7,500 sign-on bonus. All bonuses have a one-year obligation. With the first half being paid after the first semester and second half being paid after completing the last semester of the year.

Durham Public Schools in North Carolina are offering $3,500 for new hires. Additional bonuses are offered by grade level and field of study and could top out as high as $8,000 for a total bonus. However, these bonuses will be distributed over a three-year period. The first installment will be given in September of 2021.

Wake County schools are offering a $3,500 bonus to the 100 special education teachers they plan to hire. The first half will be paid after the first three months of employment, starting in September. The other half will be paid in November of 2022 if the teacher is still employed by the county school.

The certified teacher shortage is so impactful in Waco, Texas, that the Waco Independent School District is planning to give $8.6 million in bonuses. Giving their teachers up to $10,000 in bonuses and custodians and cafeteria workers up to $1,000 in bonuses. All the bonuses will be paid in three installments, starting in December 2022 and end in September 2024.

New Jersey Schools Offering Sign On Bonuses

Lead Charter School, in Newark, NJ, is offering, potentially, a $4,000 bonus to a special education teacher with the appropriate certifications.

The Guidepost Montessori at Mahwah is offering a $1,000 sign-on bonus to Montessori-trained infant and toddler Lead Teachers.

Even the South Mountain YMCA is offering teacher assistants $500 bonuses. The Learning Experience in Ledgewood, NJ, is offering a $500 sign-on bonus as well, for their toddler teachers.

Locally, sign-on bonuses vary depending on the position available. A lot of the generous hiring bonuses from school districts in other states are coming from stimulus funds they have received and need to be spent by 2024. This has led to complaints from parents and others who claim such payments violate the intent of the federal funding. The schools and school districts say that these type of bonuses are a one-time incentive to attract new hires and also serve as a “thank you” to veteran teachers, in hopes to stave off resignations.

SCG Advertising + PR helps over 300 schools in New Jersey with their recruitment advertising. Please email mmangan@successcomgroup.com if you would like to place an ad or visit our website at www.scgadv.com.

Top 100 High Schools in New Jersey 2021

May 5, 2021

by Mike Mangan with No Comment Education Recruitment Advertising Uncategorized

The results are in!

U.S. News and World Report recently released their top 100 high school rankings and New Jersey is home to quite a few of them. Every year they rank the best high schools in the country and this year was no different. They also ranked the best magnet schools, charter schools and best STEM schools in the country as well. The criteria used to rank these schools was based on six factors: college readiness, reading and math proficiency, reading and math performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth and graduation rates.

New Jersey had eight schools of the top 100 high schools in the country. Monmouth County Vocational School District accounted for two of the eight New Jersey schools (High Technology High School and Biotechnology High School) that finished in the top 100. High Technology High School was also ranked as the #1 STEM School in the country. All of the eight high schools that made the top 100 are listed below.

(#27) Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies, Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District, Edison
(#53) High Technology High school, Monmouth County Vocational School District, Lincroft
(#54) Bergen County Academies, Bergen County Vocational Technical School District, Hackensack
(#61) Middlesex County Academy for Allied Health, Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District, Woodbridge
(#73) Dr. Ronald E McNair High School, Jersey City Public Schools, Jersey City
(#83) Union County Magnet High School, Union County Vocational – Technical School District, Scotch Plains
(#91) Biotechnology High School, Monmouth County Vocational School District, Freehold
(#92) Bergen County Technical High School – Teterboro, Bergen County Vocational Technical School District, Teterboro

In addition to these ranking they also ranked the top 100 high schools in each state. Middlesex County Academy for Science received the top honor for best high school in New Jersey. Below are the rest of the top 100 high schools in the state of New Jersey.

Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies, Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District, Edison
High Technology High School, Monmouth County Vocational School District, Lincroft
Bergen County Academies, Bergen County Vocational Technical School District, Hackensack
Middlesex County Academy for Allied Health, Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District, Woodbridge
Dr. Ronald E McNair High School, Jersey City Public Schools, Jersey City
Union County Magnet High School, Union County Vocational-Technical School District, Scotch Plains
Biotechnology High School, Monmouth County Vocational School District, Freehold
Bergen County Technical High School – Teterboro, Bergen County Vocational Technical School District, Teterboro
Academy for Information Technology, Union County Vocational-Technical School District, Scotch Plains
Academy for Allied Health Sciences, Union County Vocational-Technical School District, Scotch Plains
Infinity Institute, Jersey City Public Schools, Jersey City
Marine Academy of Science and Technology, Monmouth County Vocational School District, Highlands
Elizabeth High School, Elizabeth Public Schools, Elizabeth
Glen Ridge High School, Glen Ridge Public School District, Glen Ridge
Millburn High School, Millburn Township School District, Millburn
Livingston High School, Livingston Board of Education School District, Livingston
Summit Senior High School, Summit Public School District, Summit
West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North, West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District, Plainsboro
Academy of Allied Health and Science, Monmouth County Vocational School District, Neptune
Science Park High School, Newark Public School District, Newark
Tenafly High School, Tenafly Public School District, Tenafly
Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest, Northern Valley Regional High School District, Demarest
Chatham High School, School District of The Chathams, Chatham
West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District, West Windsor
Ridge High School, Bernards Township School District, Basking Ridge
Norther Valley Reg Old Tappen High Schoo, Northern Valley Regional High School District, Old Tappan
Montgomery High School, Montgomery Township School District, Skillman
Princeton High School, Princeton Public Schools, Princeton
Northern Highlands Regional High School, Northern Highlands Regional High School District, Allendale
New Providence High School, New Providence School District, New Providence
Communications High School, Monmouth County Vocational School District, Wall
Pascack Hills High School, Pascack Valley Regional High School District, Montvale
Central Jersey College Prep Charter School, Central Jersey College Prep Charter School, Somerset
Mountain Lakes High School, Mountain Lakes Public School District, Mountain Lakes
Technology High School, Newark Public School District, Newark
Ridgewood High School, Ridgewood Public School District, Ridgewood
John P. Stevens High School, Edison Township School District, Edison
Madison High School, Madison Public School District, Madison
Haddonfield Memorial High School, Haddonfield School District, Haddonfield
Cresskill High School, Cresskill Public School District, Cresskill
Westfield Senior High School, Westfield Public School District, Westfield
Ramapo High School, Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District, Franklin Lakes
Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School, Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School District, Rumson
Glen Rock High School, Glen Rock Public School District, Glen Rock
West Morris Mendham High School, West Morris Regional High School District, Mendham
Mahwah High, Mahwah Township Public School District, Mahwah
Kinnelon High School, Kinnelon School District, Kinnelon
Columbia High School, South Orange-Maplewood School District, Maplewood
Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy, Elizabeth Public Schools, Elizabeth
Whippany Park High School, Hanover Park Regional High School District, Whippany
Bernards High School, Somerset Hills Regional School District, Bernardsville
Cherry Hill High School East, Cherry Hill School District, Cherry Hill
Bergenfield High School, Bergenfield Borough School District, Bergenfield
Moorestown High School, Moorestown Township Public School District, Moorestown
Fair Lawn High School, Fair Lawn Public School District, Fair Lawn
Leonia High School, Leonia Public School District, Leonia
Hunterdon Central Regional High School, Hunterdon Central Regional High School District, Flemington
Midland Park Jr./Sr. High School, Midland Park School District, Midland Park
East Brunswick High School, East Brunswick Township School District, E Brunswick
High Tech High School, Hudson County Schools of Technology School District, Secaucus
Park Ridge High School, Park Ridge School District, Park Ridge
Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District, Scotch Plains
West Essex High School, West Essex Regional School District, North Caldwell
River Dell Regional High School, River Dell Regional School District, Oradell
Indian Hills High School, Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District, Oakland
Ramsey High School, Ramsey School District, Ramsey
Liberty High School, Jersey City Public Schools, Jersey City
Metuchen High School, Metuchen Public School District, Metuchen
Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School, Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District, Bridgewater
Montville Township High School, Montville Township School District, Montville
Marlboro High School, Freehold Regional High School District, Marlboro
West Morris Central High School, West Morris Regional High School District, Chester
Morris Hills High School, Morris Hills Regional School District, Rockaway
Holmdel High School, Holmdel Township School District, Holmdel
Pequannock Township High School, Pequannock Township School District, Pompton Plains
South Brunswick High School, South Brunswick School District, Monmouth Junction
Randolph High School, Randolph Township School District, Randolph
Montclair High School, Montclair Public School District, Montclair
Verona High School, Verona Public School District, Verona
Robbinsville High School, Robbinsville Public Schools, Robbinsville
Cranford High School, Cranford Public School District, Cranford
Highland Park High School, Highland Park Boro School District, Highland Park
North Hunterdon High School, North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District, Annandale
Watchung Hills Regional High School, Watchung Hills Regional High School District, Warren
Academy for Mathematics Science and Engineering, Morris County Vocational School District, Rockaway
Bergen Arts and Sciences Charter School, Bergen Arts and Science Charter School, Garfield
Morris County School of Technology, Morris County Vocational School District, Denville
Parsippany Hills High School, Parsippany-Troy Hills Township School District, Morris Plains
Morris Knolls High School, Morris Hills Regional School District, Denville
Dumont High School, Dumont Public School District, Dumont
Colts Neck High School, Freehold Regional High School District, Colts Neck
Hopewell Valley Central High School, Hopewell Valley Regional School District, Pennington
Cinnaminson High School, Cinnaminson Township Public Schools, Cinnaminson
Governor Livingston High School, Berkeley Heights School District, Berkeley Heights
Wayne Valley High School, Wayne Township Public School District, Wayne
East Orange STEM Academy High School, East Orange School District, East Orange
Sparta High School, Sparta Township Public School District, Sparta
Hillsborough High School, Hillsborough Township Public School District, Hillsborough
Dover High School, Dover Public School District, Dover
Mount Olive High School, Mount Olive Township School District, Flanders

Best High Schools in New Jersey

2021 Best U.S. High Schools

A Report Card on Educational Services Jobs

April 8, 2021

by Brad Petersen with No Comment Advertising Education Recruitment Advertising

The nation was waiting in anticipation of great numbers when the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the latest jobs report on Friday, April 2. However, the announcement that total non-farm payroll employment rose by 916,000 in March exceeded even the most optimistic experts. The public and private education sector was one of the big job creation winners for Educational Services Jobs in March as in-person learning begins to spread across the nation.

Here are the growth numbers in the March 2021 report.

Local government education 76,000

State government education 50,000

Private education 64,000

Compare those numbers with the losses since February 2020 in the following:

Local government education -594,000

State government education -270,000

Private education -310,000

Let’s take a deeper look at the Educational Services jobs sector (NAICS 611) of the economy. This includes elementary and secondary schools, junior colleges, colleges/universities and business school and computer training, technical and trade school, and educational support services.

Month Employees (In thousands)

March 2019 3722.1

March 2020 3696.3

March 2021 3469.0

Month Unemployment Rate

March 2019 2.8%

March 2020 4.4%

March 2021 4.1%

With all of these promising numbers being reported, the Educational Services job market is undoubtedly beginning to heat up. The competition for top talent is certainly tightening. If you are recruiting in this sector, are you ready to face the competition? To start the conversation, e-mail Mike Mangan mmangan@scgadv.com or contact your Account Executive at (973) 992-7800.

Nationwide Shortage of Substitute Teachers; Lots of Jobs To Fill

January 7, 2021

by Brad Petersen with No Comment Education Recruitment Advertising Uncategorized

Whether a school is instructing in-person or online, one thing remains the same — they need an increasing number of substitute teachers from an ever-decreasing talent pool. How prevalent is the shortage? Google serves over a million results on “substitute teacher shortage COVID.” These results come from Madison, Chicago, Kansas City, Utica, Las Vegas, Coeur d’Alene, Houston, and so many more. The reporting originates from large and small cities all over the nation.

Lots of jobs to fill

A good amount of jobs currently being posted come from Indeed.com. A simple search for substitute teachers in the United States reveals 7,271 openings nationwide. By far the largest number is coming from Chicago with 503 openings. That is well ahead of the number two city – Denver – with 61.

The changing candidate pools

Even before the pandemic, a shortage of substitute teachers existed in many areas. However, that number is now increasing rapidly as potential candidates weigh the risk-reward of substituting where the income is relatively low and the potential exposure to COVID is higher. On the income side of the equation, The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows short-term substitute teachers earning $32,460 per year, which is $21,030 less than the U.S. annual average among all jobs. This low earning level limits the availability of retired teachers and part-timers.

The fear of COVID among teachers is real when you consider 18% of all public and private school teachers are in the high risk, 65 and older age group per The American Enterprise Institute. That potentially also means they could be taking home the virus to equally vulnerable family members. The bottom line? It is no surprise that the American Federation of Teachers, a national labor union, shows that 1 in 3 teachers say the pandemic has made them more likely to retire earlier than planned.

How schools battle the shortage

Here is a list of some of the things schools have been doing to have enough substitutes in their classes:

Hiring parents
Increasing class sizes
Adding babysitting to bus driver duties
Hiring permanent substitutes
Boasting earnings and more competitive wages
Sending personal invitations to retired teachers
Offering sign-on bonuses

Help is on the way

With the vaccine now here, help is on the way. Millions of doses have already been delivered, and both teachers and substitutes should be getting significant relief. Anything close to normal will be fully embraced by educators nationwide.

If you are looking for creative ways to fill open positions you can contact your Account Manager or email pcrescenzi@successcomgroup.com.

“Normal” Continues To Elude Higher Education

October 27, 2020

by Brad Petersen with No Comment Advertising Education Marketing Uncategorized

Just when it looked like more and more colleges were finding ways to provide a face-to-face learning experience during the continuing pandemic, West Chester University (right in my backyard) announced that virtual learning was being extended into the spring 2021 semester. That’s right…Spring 2021. As this was being announced, WCU’s local school district was moving into hybrid.

That was quite a wake-up call for me and, I would assume, for thousands of students who are in or in the process of entering the higher education system. Sounds like it’s time for a gap year while all this gets sorted out.

Trends and predictions on the effect this on-going pandemic is having on our colleges and universities have been released since we last broached the subject in our July 2020 blog. This includes a significant study from the National Student Clearinghouse whose mission is to provide data, services and insights to the K-20 and workforce continuum.

For Fall 2020 enrollment the impact of the pandemic differs – sometimes significantly – by degree and institution type. Here’s a small snapshot of what we have learned from NSC’s data as of September 24, 2020:

First-Time Beginning Students

This group showed an incredible 16.1% drop in enrollments which compares to a slim 0.4% drop last fall.
69% of all undergraduate enrollment losses come from First Time Beginning Students

Undergraduates

Undergraduate enrollment is down 4% across all institution types in comparison to last year
Private for-profit colleges are up 3.0%
Public 2-year colleges taking a huge hit – down 9.4%
Only 5 states are showing an increase in enrollments – Vermont, New Hampshire, West Virginia, Nebraska, and Utah
11.2% drop in international students

Graduate Students

Graduate school enrollments are up 2.7%.
Private 4-year colleges are up 9.3%
Public 4-year colleges are up in the same period by 4.0%
Enrollment is up in 38 states

All Students

Total enrollment is down 3.0% in comparison to the same period last year.
Only 6 states show an increase in all enrollments including Vermont, New Hampshire, West Virginia, Nebraska, Utah and Arizona

Not sure when things will return to normal – if ever. If you are an Admissions professional, SCG would like to continue the discussion with you.

Colleges and Universities Scramble To Minimize Financial Losses

July 10, 2020

by Brad Petersen with No Comment Advertising Education Marketing

College enrollments have been steady.
Then, came the virus.

Our nation’s colleges and universities are suffering deep financial wounds as the COVID-19 pandemic enters its sixth month. The devastating results show institutions scrambling to thwart large financial losses and even for some small colleges the possibility of closing.

How large are the losses facing higher education? An ABC News report showed unthinkable numbers. University of Michigan’s three campuses, for example, will see $400 million to $1 billion in losses, while California’s university system lost $558 million in March alone. A major portion of the losses to date stems from rebates on meal and housing that was unused due to campus closings.

So, going forward, it will be more important than ever for schools to focus on capturing a larger market share – getting a larger slice of a shrinking pie. Fortunately, despite a decline in the college-age population nationwide, college enrollments were at least remaining steady.

Statista, a leading provider of market and consumer data, showed public and private college enrollments have hovered around the 20 million mark since 2015. The year 2015 showed 19.99M while 2020 was forecast slightly lower at 19.75M.

However, that was before the COVID-19 Pandemic struck and drastically changed the college experience. Sadly, The American Council on Education estimates a 15% drop in fall enrollments costing colleges and universities $23 billion in lost revenue.

Even more daunting, SimpsonScarborough, a higher education research and marketing company, is predicting a 20% loss in enrollment based on a survey of 2,000 college-bound high school seniors and current college students in March.

Finally, as students are preparing to go to college (or not), admissions professionals are doing a variety of things to keep their enrollments up.

Here are a few:

Extending acceptance deadline
Waiving deposits
Early access to the waitlist
Insurance against dropping enrollment

There’s so much more to this dynamic situation. As the difficulty in attracting a larger number of potential students climbs, it would be wise to have a partner with experience in the higher education market. If you are an Admissions professional, SCG would like to continue the discussion with you.

All Levels Of Education Sector Must Invest In Relationships, Reputation To Battle Coronavirus Disruption

May 14, 2020

by Michael Cherenson with No Comment Advertising Branding Community Awareness Education Human Resources Public Relations

The loss of life – as well as health and safety issues – remains the primary issue when talking about the coronavirus pandemic. That said, economic and societal disruption cannot be ignored. The education sector, from pre-school to our higher education institutions, finds itself in the direct path of the storm and needing to prepare for the next waves.

The action plans required to navigate the new-normal are extensive and detailed, and emphasis should rightly be placed on instruction and learning, technology, infrastructure, and financial considerations. None of those issues, however, will matter if schools can’t sustain meaningful relationships with their long list of publics. Parents and students are more tolerant of change and disturbances if they have trust. Educators and staff are willing to go the extra mile if they have faith. Partners and suppliers are more open-minded if they believe a school is credible. Individuals and institutions are more giving when they have confidence.

Senior educational leaders will undoubtedly spend the next few months discussing important, tangible assets that ensure the delivery of education, but how much time will be spent on intangible assets like reputation, relationships, and brand?

Important Intangible assets

Intangible assets – like reputation, relationships, and brands — will first be defined by behavior and then by communication. Every organization must accept that it operates with the permission of those it serves, including students, parents, employees, regulators, partners, and a lengthy list of others. Moving forward, every action and behavior must be focused on earning and maintaining permission and trust to operate. In the end, reputation is a simple formula: EXPECTATION + CREDIBILITY. Organizations must meet or exceed expectations and achieve credibility by doing what they say they will do in all facets of the organization, down to the very smallest detail.

When it comes to communication, every organization must fortify its antenna to become more effective at listening, and more attentive to relevant sights, sounds, and sentiments. They must accept and communicate vulnerability and values and give power to their conscience, ethics, and empathy, thus empowering others to act. They must speak clearly, consistently, and honestly across all platforms – paid, earned, shared, and owned. Communication must be systematic, process-driven, proactive, and reactive, and also reach to all ends of the organization, both internal and external, prioritizing those directly impacted first … but realizing that information spreads.

There will be bumps along the way, and some may ignite a frenzied response from the media. The industry should also anticipate government, legal, and consumer actions, along with dis-informational attacks. And all of this will negatively impact reputation and the bottom line. Schools must soon identify and cultivate third-party advocates to speak on their behalf, quickly knock down misinformation, and employ attitude inoculation or pre-bunking techniques.

When it comes to maintaining and building intangible assets like relationships and reputation, there’s no magic solution. Instead, taking appropriate steps now will ensure an organization’s ongoing viability. Bottom line: educational leaders must prioritize investment in intangible assets and the professionals who manage them if they hope to survive and ultimately thrive in the post-coronavirus world.

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Why Schools Need Public Relations Professionals